Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 33 Entries. Friday, January 1 View Page Happy New Year - hopefully 2016 will give us all personal bests and one of us a 2500 pound world record. This is my 30th year of growing and I still feel stressed that I can produce the "perfect" (tall, smooth and orange) giants for my wife to carve. Best of luck everyone.   Friday, January 1 View Page Around Rochester NY, this is what people call us.   Wednesday, January 13 View Page This is the cover for the Harris seed catalog for 1991. I have put on a few pounds and the boys all have children of their own now but I begin my 30th year of growing the "big ones".   Thursday, January 21 View Page Since some of my seeds will be available on upcoming auctions, I thought I would put up pictures. This is the 1287 Swain 2014 ( 1791 Holland X 1813 Northrup). I grew a 959 from it this year which looked identical.   Thursday, January 21 View Page This is my 1049 from 2013 which was a 979 McMillan X 1257 Northrup cross.   Thursday, January 21 View Page If you would, "like" us on facebook under Ford Farm Market. We only put on a few posts a year but it will give you a chance to see how our pumpkins are growing, carvings and final results. Thanks   Saturday, January 30 View Page This is from the 2016 Harris Seed catalog. It is a picture I took of my son Kevin who is 32 years old now. I not sure but I think it is from the 627 world record I got from Ed Gancarz of New Jersey.   Saturday, January 30 View Page The last post should have read the seed may have been from a 671 pound pumpkin pumpkin grown by Ed and Bob Gancarz of Wrightstown NJ. I still have the envelope the seed came in. There were no bubbles back then just thick brown envelopes that it cost 45 cents to mail. They were definitely the heavy hitters of their day.   Saturday, March 26 View Page Matt DeBacco's graph show growth using Azoz. I included this graph as reference to my post of 3/26/16 under fertilizing and watering.   Saturday, May 14 View Page Most of the 56 seeds I placed in germination chamber within the last week are up. I will be planting 41 in four locations this year. I have to truck water to this spot but has given me some beauties in recent years Holes are 6 X 6 where plants will be back to back.   Saturday, May 14 View Page This is where I started growing 30 years ago but has not given me many large pumpkins in recent years. Trying to to rejuvenate with leaf mulch.   Saturday, May 14 View Page The lineup for 2016   Saturday, May 14 View Page I am anxious to see what develops with these awesome seeds.   Thursday, June 16 View Page So far, so good. Lost a few plants from my best seeds early to corn maggots but everything since then has been going well. It has been very windy and dry and I have found it takes 2 hours to water over 40 plants.   Thursday, June 16 View Page 2nd location again back to back. Mowed winter rye yesterday for probably the last time.   Thursday, June 16 View Page 3rd location which is not back to back. All plants will need watering tomorrow. Best looking plants so far are 1533 Haist, 1626 Gantner, 1791 Holland, 1102 Pukos, 989 Swain and 685 Kampf.   Thursday, June 16 View Page I will try to recreate my 1287 this year with a 1791 Holland X 1813 Northrup cross.   Thursday, June 16 View Page Picture that was suppose to go,with location 1   Thursday, June 16 View Page Picture for location 3   Saturday, July 16 View Page I have pollinated 73 pumpkins at my three locations starting on July 3rd. Most of the early pollinations took but lately some have aborted due to a very sunny and hot summer with essentially no rain.   Saturday, July 16 View Page 2nd location. These are also back to back and are doing well especially with the weather conditions.   Saturday, July 16 View Page Final location. Best looking pumpkins so far are 942 Kampf, 1048 Engel, 1626 Gantner, 1503 Hoelke and 1947 Clementz.   Saturday, July 16 View Page I have been using the 1102 Pukos as a pollinator along with the 855 Pukos to keep the dark orange pumpkins coming.   Saturday, July 23 View Page Note to self - don't be an idiot and grow 40+ plants when you are in a severe drought. One good thing - even the weeds don't grow.   Wednesday, September 7 View Page Interesting year in western NY. 3 sheriff's cars here last night after I caught a college student stealing my 1177 Clementz out of my patch. He drove away without it but I got his license plate and the sheriffs had him in less than an hour. Still working on the 1998 Jutras, 1287 Swain and 1912 Carter since they were pollinated late and are stilling growing. Everything else is at a crawl   Wednesday, September 7 View Page I planted over 150 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds this year but don't think they all made it with the drought. I do love walking thru the rows to find some of my specialty crosses from last year. Just picked this one- would love to grow a giant that looked like this.   Wednesday, September 7 View Page Many growers had expressed an interest in getting seeds from "the mongrel" which I grew last year. It only had 100 seeds and all but 6 were thin, paper like wafers with no "meat". I planted 3 of the good seeds this year but 2 did not germinate and the one that did was spindly and only lasted in the ground for 10 days before shriveling up. Maybe I can reproduce it.   Thursday, October 6 View Page Bringing in the display pumpkins for in front of our "5 holer" outhouse. They aren't real big this year but they sure are pretty.   Thursday, October 6 View Page Yes, that really is a pink pumpkin.   Thursday, October 6 View Page The better half with the grandkids in front of our 1841 farmhouse.   Thursday, October 6 View Page Better picture showing some of the 150 varieties of pumpkin, squash and gourds we planted this year   Thursday, October 6 View Page Picture for last post. Some of these seeds will end up in veggie exchange   Thursday, October 13 View Page These are the pumpkins will carve this year. They all went light in weight probably due to the severe drought we had here in western NY. From left to right are pumpkins from the following seeds: 1667 Harnica, 1912 Carter, 1287 Swain, 1998 Jutras.